


here's your chance to be the hero

by lostin_space



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex is a badass, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 08:39:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19128475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostin_space/pseuds/lostin_space
Summary: alex gets kidnapped, michael tries to save the day(title: unraveling by klergy)





	here's your chance to be the hero

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to two anons prompts on tumblr:)   
> prompt 1: “We’ll get him back, Michael, I promise.” Isobel says as she cradles a wrecked Michael in her chest.” Ok so it’s my first time sending in a prompt, love your writing! This based on the S2 synopsis, Alex gets kidnapped and Michael is at loss, happy ending please ❤️  
> prompt 2: “I’m going to find him. If it’s the last thing I’m going to do, I’m going to find him.” Alex is kidnapped and Michael won’t take No as an answer.
> 
>  
> 
> warning: i'm horrifically bad at coming up with elaborate plans and schemes and it shows

“What do you mean?”

If anyone bothered to clarify or repeat themselves, Michael didn’t hear them.  Two months ago, he’d ended everything with Maria so he could focus on bringing Max back. A month ago, they did just that.  Three weeks ago, he marched straight to Alex’s cabin and said he was ready to work through all the pain.  Two weeks ago, he’d gone in for a kiss and Alex said it was too soon.

So he gave him some space.

And now he wasn’t there.

“Michael, are you alright?” Isobel asked as she sat on the floor beside him, draping an arm around his shoulder.  He wanted to scoff, to find something snide to throw at her.   _“Am I alright?”_  he’d say,  _“the love of my life is missing and that’s all you can ask?”_

Instead, he couldn’t find any words.  All he felt was heartache and worry and panic.  Alex needed him and he wasn’t there.  Alex was strong, a force to be reckoned with, and yet something had happened to him.  It could be literally anything. He could be being tortured for information or he could be dead or he could be tied up in a basement. Or he could be dead.

Please don’t be dead.

“Last time I talked to him was a week ago. Anyone hear from him more recently?” Kyle asked, keeping a cool head even though he was the one telling everyone that Alex Manes was MIA. No one said anything. “Okay. So sometime between then and this morning, someone took him.”

“Well, how do you know someone took him? Maybe he just left on his own,” Liz said. Michael wanted to thank her for being positive, but he was angrier that she was holding up the conversation over bullshit that didn’t happen.

“His car was gone, but there…” Michael could feel them looking at him, trying to figure out if he could take what Kyle was about to say. “There looked like a struggle inside the cabin. Shit was everywhere, it didn’t look like any of his clothes were gone. Front door was open. There was… blood on the floor and the counters.” Michael brought his knees closer to his chest and he tried to block out the horror of what had just been said. Someone made Alex bleed.

Or maybe Alex made someone else bleed.

Maria seemed to speak his mind, “I know Alex, he wouldn’t let anyone take him without a fight.”

“Yeah, but they still got him,” Max pointed out as if anyone needed that fucking confirmation.  Michael balled himself up even more.  This was clearly a dream.  A horrifically bad one.  One that he could wake up from if he tried a little harder and then Alex would be there when he did and they could kiss and kiss and kiss until he forgot all about this.

Michael squeezed his eyes shut, rocking slightly in place as he desperately tried to wish it away.  He just needed to wake up.  Wake up and be with Alex.  Alex wasn’t gone, no one could’ve taken him, no one…

“Michael!  Michael, listen to me, you need to calm down,” Isobel’s voice reached out to him, her hands cupping his cheeks.  This was real.  It wasn’t a dream.  The noise that pushed out of his body once he realized that was the most pathetic sound he’d ever made.  It showed on Isobel’s face.  “Oh, Michael, we’ll get him back, I promise.” She pulled his head tightly to her chest, combing her hands through his hair.

The room was silent.  It made Michael feel even worse.  Why weren’t they talking about Alex?  Why were they focusing on him instead of focusing on how to get Alex back?

“Why are you all just fucking standing here?!” Michael yelled, not moving from his place in Isobel’s arms.  He had faith that his tone and the slight shake of the furniture in the room made them realize how serious he was.  “We know who took him!  It was his fucking dad!”

“Mikey,” Liz started this time.  Great.  “Alex’s dad just got out of the hospital.  I don’t think he capable of kidnapping.  Even if Alex is dis‒”

“Oh, don’t you  _even_  act like Alex missing his leg makes him weak at all!  He could fucking kill all of you if he wanted to!  And honestly, he should because you aren’t fucking helping!” Michael barked.  More than one object shot across the room and he’d tried to lift his head, but Isobel had a death grip on him.

“Michael,  _you_  aren’t helping by freaking out.  Take a deep breath, and use your words‒ _calm ones_.” Isobel dictated, sounding like she had so many times in their life.  Michael closed his eyes once again, breathing slowly.  At first, it was a last-ditch attempt at waking up from this fucking nightmare, but once he realized that wasn’t it, he decided to listen.  

He could be calm.  Calm meant Alex.  Alex needed him.  He’d let him down before, he wasn’t about to do it again.

“His dad probably got his brothers in on it.  Or, or at least Flint.  Guy has some twisted view that whatever he does for his dad is to protect Alex,” Michael explained, sniffling hard as he rubbed at his eye, “It wouldn’t surprise me if he tried to get Alex to go see his dad to talk about Project Shepard and Alex wouldn’t listen, so he tried to force him and then Alex probably used more force than anticipated and then…” He couldn’t say it.  It hung in the air regardless.  Everyone knew the only way Alex got pulled out of that cabin was either by unspeakable violence.

“Okay, but maybe that’s not it?  I mean, Alex did put himself in the middle of a government conspiracy for us, it could be any number of people.  Could even be an alien,” Max said and Michael was starting to regret bringing him back.

“Yeah, maybe, but it definitely couldn’t hurt to look into his dad.  Dude’s psychotic,” Kyle explained, mindlessly rubbing over where he’d been shot.  Michael took a few deep breaths, doing his best to steady his mind before he stood up.  Again, all eyes were on him.  He was getting quite tired of that.  What was so hard about focusing on Alex?  It literally was the easiest thing in the world.

“I’m gonna go find him.  If you wanna sit here blowing yourselves, fine, I’m gonna go get Alex,” Michael said.  However, he could barely take a step before multiple pairs of arms yanked him onto the couch.  It was a chorus harmonizing  _‘you’re crazy’_  with ‘ _have you lost it?!’_ and he was so over the false niceties. “Let me go get Alex!”

“We can’t go in blind!” Kyle scolded, shaking his head. He was awfully close to Michael, having been the first one to stop him, and Michael was beginning to wonder why he cared.  “We need to think this through, okay?  If we just go in, alien minds blazing, then we could just get everyone killed.  We need to be smart about this.  We don’t even know if he has him, much less where or what he’s done to him.  We’ll get him back, Guerin.”

Michael swallowed back the tears that ached in his throat, “I need him.”

“I know, Michael, I know,” Isobel cooed, cradling him against her chest once again.  Kyle gave a tight smile and put his hand on his knee.

“I’m gonna find him.  If it’s the last thing I do, I’m gonna find him,” Michael grumbled, his knees coming back to his chest.  His ears filled with demeaning sentiments that they knew.  But they didn’t know,  _couldn’t_  know.  He and Alex had stayed virtually silent on their relationship.  Everyone knew they had some feelings, but mainly it was assumed to be a brief fling in high school.  Max knew that being caught with him had gotten his hand fucked, but that’s about it.  Liz and Maria knew he was Museum Guy, but that’s about it.  Isobel knew that Alex knew everything about him, but that’s about it.  Oddly enough, Kyle was the closest to knowing, and still, all he knew was that they still loved each other after a decade of bullshit and  _that’s about it_.

No one understood how they’d spent so many years trying to navigate each other and themselves.  No one got that he’d thought about Alex every day for a decade. No one knew about Caulfield. They  _definitely_ didn’t know that the sex was so good it felt more natural than breathing.  Not just the sex.  Touching him, kissing him, holding him.  If they’d just had a few more weeks to work at it, talking would’ve come just as easy.  Alex was his, he was Alex’s.  They were all just too stupid to see it.  Too stupid to understand that he was missing a piece of himself when Alex wasn’t there.

“Maybe you should get some‒”

“I swear to god, if you say sleep, I’m going to throw you through a window,” Michael said, narrowing his eyes at Kyle who was still knelt in front of him, “Alex could’ve gotten taken a week and a half ago.  I’m not wasting time.  We start planning now.”  Kyle stared for a moment, clearly debating what to say.  Michael never stopped glaring at him as he checked around the room to make sure everyone was on board.  Kyle stood up.

“Okay.  Let’s get to work.”

*

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Michael?”

“It’s the only one I’ve got.”

Twenty-four hours after realizing Alex was missing, they were headed to the Project Shepard bunker.  To Michael, it felt like twenty-five hours too late.  They weren’t stupid and Jesse Manes wasn’t either.  If he’d taken Alex, he would’ve taken him somewhere that they’d be able to find him.  Squeezing information out of Alex was a hard task, but even if they’d managed to get every piece he knew, it still wasn’t was he wanted.  Jesse Manes wanted Michael, Max, and Isobel either dead or in captivity.  What’s better bait than Alex?

It killed Michael that it took them that long to notice Alex was gone.  He’d called him a handful of times since then and he’d thought endlessly about going over, but he thought he was being ignored for making him uncomfortable and the last thing he wanted was to push him away by being overbearing.  Turns out him not taking action for once may have gotten Alex killed.  

The idea alone had Michael ready to kill.

“So, walk me through this one more time?” Max groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.  Michael stepped on the gas a little harder.

“I bust the door in.  Let’s say there’s four guys other than Jesse, I’ll throw them all against the wall.  Max, you take the biggest one.  Iz and Liz, you two go after another one and Liz holds him while Iz gets in his mind and politely suggests he stops.  Kyle, you go after the other one.  Maria, if there’s another one, be careful, but point that gun at him.  I got Jesse and Alex,” Michael said.  

It’s what he’d been saying since the moment they decided they needed a plan.  They kept trying to tell him that he needed something more than that, but the fact of the matter was they didn’t know what they were going into and there wasn’t a way to find out.  So they all put on bulletproof vests and Max and Maria had guns on them.  Michael was a weapon in his own right, Isobel was strong enough to get into someone’s mind quickly, and Kyle had spent some time training with Alex enough to have a basic understanding of self-defense.  It was all they had to go on.

“God, this is such a bad idea,” Kyle scolded.  Michael huffed, slamming his hand against the steering wheel as he turned onto the dirt road that led to the bunker.

“You didn’t have a better one!” Michael yelled.  No one argued.

It was hauntingly silent in the car, the weight of what they were doing really setting in.  Alex’s life was in their hands.  Their plan was already half-baked at best, there was so much room for fuck ups.  All Michael knew was that he’d die saving Alex and it was the main drive of confidence.

Even when he pulled up to the bunker.

Everything moved in slow motion as they entered the way Micahel had suggested, the door flew open with ease.  It felt stupid, riddled with plausible ways for them all to end up dead or hurt or fucked up in some way.  He was stupid.  That stupidity felt amplified when there was no one in sight.  Maybe Alex really did just leave…

“I don’t think anyone’s here.  Maybe we were wrong,” Max said as if he had any part in guessing where Jesse Manes might’ve taken him.  Michael rolled his eyes, walking further into the bunker.  Maybe he wasn’t there, maybe Alex just left because he scared him away, but Michael had stressed himself out too much to leave without looking.  He was going to search this place top to bottom.

“Michael,” Isobel tried as he began looking beneath the table and the desk. He didn’t listen, closing his eyes to see if he could feel Alex.  He’d gotten really good at that‒well, especially with Alex.

“Guerin, seriously, I think‒”

“Shut up,” Michael snapped, taking a deep breath as he tried to find Alex and call out to him.  Maybe he should’ve done that first.  Then again, he wasn’t exactly known for his logical decision making.

And he called Alex, searching for him wherever he may be.  His palms began to burn as he felt  _something_.  It was murky, it was faint, but it felt like Alex and it was close and that’s all he needed.

“Alex?!” Michael yelled, causing nearly everyone around him to jump and glare him.  But if Alex was close enough, he’d probably hear him scream better than he heard him in his head and he wasn’t about to blow that.  Still, paranoia began to feed into his already ridiculously high worry when whatever he had been feeling was yanked away, leaving that part of him cold and empty all over again.  That can’t be good.

Voices called after Michael as he darted down the hall.  He looked everywhere he could, his mind throwing open each door he passed them.  No Alex.  Michael barely had time to try to call out for him again when he reached the final two doors and spotted a trail of blood leading to one of them.

Found it.

Michael blew the door off its hinges and into pieces, already huffing and puffing and ready to destroy some Manes Men before he could even get a good look at what was inside.  He didn’t really know what he was expecting, but what he saw really wasn’t it.

The room was indeed covered in blood, but it didn’t seem to be Alex’s.  Rather, it belonged to a few other Manes Men.  In the middle of the floor, there was a pile of Jesse Manes and two of his sons, neither of which was Alex, but all of which were unconscious.  They were tied up in complex knots that coursed around their bodies and over their mouths and around their hands and feet, creating one giant human lump of flesh that was partially covered in dried blood.

“Really, Guerin?” Alex was leaned up against the far wall and, aside from the split lip, messy hair, and missing prosthetic, he looked fine.  Well, he looked annoyed.  The entire scene had Michael’s head reeling in confusion, trying to piece together the scene and how the hell it had ended up like that.  Had Alex done all that and ended up with nothing but a split lip?

“I… came to save you?” Michael said though he knew it wasn’t convincing.  His eyes raked over the scene a couple more times as the Knock-Off Justice League bounded up behind him to do the same.

“Uh-huh, I bet, my  _hero_ ,” Sarcasm dripped from Alex’s voice.  That quickly reminded him that Alex was  _here_  and  _speaking_.  Alex was alive.

Michael crossed the room in record time, scooping him up in his arms.  Alex wiggled his hands-free, bringing them around Michael’s shoulder and petting his head as if on instinct.  He didn’t even realize he was crying until Alex started shushing him.

“Jesus Christ, Alex, what the hell happened?” Kyle asked from behind them.  Michael squeezed Alex a little tighter, a silent plead to never leave him alone with Kyle again.  He could be nice and all, but Michael was pretty sure Alex needed more hugs.  From everyone.  Why was Michael the only one hugging?

Why was Michael the one being comforted?

“Idiots came to my cabin a few days ago, tried to get information out of me, somehow forgot I was specially trained to be on special task forces.  One of them sedated me, so I guess they’re not  _all_  idiots,” Alex chuckled.  He fucking  _chuckled_.  Michael sniffled against his neck, feeling Alex’s cheek mindlessly rub against his temple.   _Alex_.  “I was out for a day or two, I guess, when I woke up they had me tied up in here.  Something about me being a good way to get the aliens or some shit.  Assholes took my leg, I have no idea where they put it.”

“Alex,  _are you okay_?” Maria asked.  Finally,  _someone_  asked.  Alex hummed, his fingers weaving into Michael’s hair.  He squeezed him tight, Alex’s breath hitching a little bit.  Michael loosened his grip.  Sort of.  _I miss you. I miss you. I miss you._

“I’m right here,” Alex whispered to him before answering anyone else.  Michael wondered if he could hear him, feel him.  “I’m fine, yeah.  You guys came at a good time, so, uh, thanks.  Been waiting here for like an hour trying to figure out how to get out of here without crawling.”

“And you… did…  _that_?” Max asked.

Alex snorted, “Didn’t really have a choice.  So, like, I know you came to save the day, so could you guys go find where they put my leg?”

A few lackluster mumbles later, they found themselves alone. Michael was fully aware they’d hyped up this mission only for Alex to mostly have saved himself, but he didn’t even care.  Alex was okay and that was the biggest relief in the fucking world.

“Guerin, are  _you_  okay?” Alex asked softly, craning his neck in an attempt to see his face.  Michael was too terrified to let go.  Last time he let go, Alex got kidnapped.  Alex was strong and smart and could survive a fucked up situation, but Michael didn’t even want him to have to.  There was no fucking way he was letting go again.  Especially when he was missing a prosthetic and Michael was basically functioning as a crutch.

“Shut up, are you sure they didn’t hurt you?  I was so fucking worried.  I haven’t been able to breathe for, like, a million hours,” Michael sniffled, letting out a heavy groan as he tried to stop crying.  Alex just smiled at him and that felt like an incentive to stop the fucking waterworks.

“Mmm, how long did it take you to notice I was gone?”

“I didn’t.  I thought you were mad at me and ignoring me for trying to kiss you, so I was giving you space.  Well, I blew up your phone, but I didn’t want to go to your house, that was all Valenti,” Michael admitted, that shitty feeling in his stomach stirring up again.  What kind of boyfriend was he going to be if he didn’t even notice that he was gone?

“Thank you for respecting my space,” Alex said as if he wasn’t annoyed with him.  He had to be annoyed with him.

“Thank you for being a fucking badass and keeping yourself safe,” Micahel gushed, squeezing him again.  Alex laughed softly, pressing a sweet kiss to his temple.  A pathetic whimper fell from Micahel’s throat, his eyes closing as he tried to savor that stupid little touch.  He didn’t expect any more.  “I’m so sorry.”

“Shut up, Guerin, I’m okay.  You’re okay.  We’re okay,” Alex promised, massaging his scalp as he finally squeezed him back.  Michael wanted to collapse.

“I was so scared I would never see you again, that the last time I’d see you would be me being stupid,” Michael admitted.  Alex hummed softly and Michael didn’t even get a response before Max came in holding the prosthetic like a trophy.

Michael found it hard to keep away from Alex.  Even as he coldly said to leave the men on the floor and as he put on his prosthetic and as he walked towards his truck as if nothing had happened.  He didn’t want him to leave his sight.

“Michael, honey, let Alex go home.  He’s had a rough few days,” Isobel cooed all over again.  He wanted to fight and argue that they had literally all went to rescue him and they were acting like it wasn’t a big deal, but he quickly had to face the reality that it wasn’t.  Everyone was completely fine, no one had to do anything big or bad or dangerous.

Except for Alex.  And they thought it was okay for him to be alone after that.

“Alex, seriously?  You want to be alone?” Michael asked, pulling at Isobel’s hand as she held onto him.  He felt like a child. Maybe he was, he did come up with the world’s worst plan and did no day-saving.  He failed Alex.  That was shone all over Alex’s face as he stared at him over the hood of his car.

But Alex sighed, “C’mon, Guerin, you can drive.  I’m still a little hazy anyway.”

He didn’t have to be told twice.  

Michael climbed into the driver’s seat of the car and completely ignored everyone else that wasn’t Alex Manes.  He managed to clear his eyes and his head enough before he started up the car, heading to the cabin like it was second nature.

“Are you sure you wanna go back there?” Michael asked, “I mean, do you feel safe at a place they took you?”

“I’ll be fine.  Just clean up the blood and give it a few weeks, it’ll go back to normal,” Alex assured.  When Michael looked over, his eyes were closed.

“You sure?”

“Guerin, I know for a fact that I’ll be safe if you’re there with me, so stop questioning me and just stay with me for a while,” Alex told him.  He was tired and sounded a little annoyed and he probably didn’t mean it, but to Michael, it meant the world.  He made him feel safe.  Even though he was excruciatingly bad at rescue missions, even though he let him get taken in the first place, he made him feel safe.  He didn’t know what that meant for them or how long it would last, but he was going to cherish it.

Maybe he really was his hero.

**Author's Note:**

> also on my tumblr: spaceskam


End file.
